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REGULATION OF PKCΘ AND ITS ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
No full textThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under an embargo until May 15, 2030.Protein Kinase C (PKC) are serine/threonine protein kinases that consist of conventional, novel, and atypical families that regulate diverse molecular signaling pathways. In a previous study, it was found that a novel PKC (PKCθ) is significantly increased in hippocampal neurons in the brains of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients. While the role of PKCθ has been studied in the hypothalamus and amygdala in the regulation of appetite and food intake, its role in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which are the regions vulnerable to neurodegeneration in AD, remains to be determined. Here, I examined the role of PKCθ in AD pathogenesis, focusing primarily on Aβ plaque deposition, tau phosphorylation, and neuronal insulin resistance. In my study, first, PKCθ activity is increased in the brains of the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) mutant transgenic mouse, which has abundant Aβ plaques, suggesting that Aβ may be a key factor driving PKCθ activation in AD. Second, the overexpression of PKCθ in cortical and hippocampal neurons in vivo led to a significant increase in pathological tau phosphorylation at the AT8 (S202/T205) site, supporting a role of PKCθ in tau pathology development. Lastly, active PKCθ reduces insulin signal sensitivity and consequent insulin resistance in neurons. Collectively, these data provide strong evidence that PKCθ plays critical roles in the development of key AD-related pathologies, including Aβ accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, and neuronal insulin resistance. Therefore, this study supports that modulation of PKCθ activity could mitigate multiple pathological pathways involved in the development of AD and, thus, PKCθ is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of AD.Neuroscienc
Sustainable Urban Heat Island Mitigation Through Machine Learning: Integrating Physical and Social Determinants for Evidence-Based Urban Policy
Get PDFUrban heat islands (UHIs) are a growing sustainability challenge impacting public health, energy use, and climate resilience, especially in hot, arid cities like San Antonio, Texas, where land surface temperatures reach up to 47.63 &deg;C. This study advances a data-driven, interdisciplinary approach to UHI mitigation by integrating Machine Learning (ML) with physical and socio-demographic data for sustainable urban planning. Using high-resolution spatial data across five functional zones (residential, commercial, industrial, official, and downtown), we apply three ML models, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), to predict land surface temperature (LST). The models incorporate both environmental variables, such as imperviousness, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), building area, and solar influx, and social determinants, such as population density, income, education, and age distribution. SVM achieved the highest R<sup>2</sup> (0.870), while RF yielded the lowest RMSE (0.488 &deg;C), confirming robust predictive performance. Key predictors of elevated LST included imperviousness, building area, solar influx, and NDVI. Our results underscore the need for zone-specific strategies like more greenery, less impervious cover, and improved building design. These findings offer actionable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to develop equitable and sustainable UHI mitigation strategies aligned with climate adaptation and environmental justice goals.Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineerin
Archaeological Report, No. 520
Get PDFThe Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted an archaeological investigation of a section of the Upper Labor Acequia
(ULA; 41BX2043) in Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas, from July 29 until August 7, 2024. The work was in response to
a request from the City of San Antonio (COSA) Public Works Department to provide information to the COSA Project Design
Team and structural engineers for both design planning and any potential future remediation of the acequia or related archaeological
features or cultural deposits. The ULA was originally an irrigation canal constructed by the Spanish between 1776 and 1778 and is a
contributing element to the Brackenridge Park National Register District. It is associated with the Upper Labor Dam and headworks
site, 41BX1273, and is a listed State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). This monitoring was conducted for COSA and within and adjacent
to COSA’s right-of-way along a section of Brackenridge Road where it passes over the alignment of the Upper Labor Acequia near the
San Antonio Zoo. Municipally owned properties are subject to COSA’s Unified Development Code (UDC) Article 6, Sections 35-630
to 35-634, inclusive, and are also subject to approval and review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC), Archaeology Division,
under the Antiquities Code of Texas. The original project area covered 0.007 hectares, or 0.017 acres, and this was subsequently
expanded via permit amendment to a total of 0.010 ha or 0.025 acres. The work described here was conducted under Texas Antiquities
Permit (TAP) 31820, as amended, with Cynthia Muñoz serving as the Principal Investigator.
The investigation initially included the removal of the asphalt and road base of a section of Brackenridge Road where it crosses the
Upper Labor Acequia adjacent to the San Antonio Zoo, just west of the Mule Barn on the far north end of Brackenridge Park. Three
trenches were then excavated to describe the buried exterior wall of the stone bridge on the east side of the road and to determine if
there were any buried walls of the acequia beneath the road. Trenching revealed that the buried wall of the stone bridge is extant and
made up of a combination of irregular limestone rubble fill between ashlar dressed piers supporting a series of four arches. There was
no evidence of any earlier acequia walls on either the north or south sides of the acequia channel alignment.
The East Trench exposed the buried western façade of the stone bridge but did not encounter any remnants of buried acequia walls.
Likewise, the North Trench failed to identify any remnant acequia wall but encountered a large ashlar construction wall in its northern
profile. The West Trench also failed to encounter any acequia wall remnants. During the course of the excavation of the East, West,
and North Trenches, 12 archaeological features were encountered. Eleven of these were historic features, a mix of six architectural and
five abandoned utility lines, and the twelfth was a precontact hearth. As a result of these discoveries and following consultation and
direction from the COSA Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and the THC, the original excavation area was expanded to include
three additional areas described in an amendment to TAP 31820. Work in these areas further documented the bridges northern and
southern sides and further exposed the large ashlar wall on the north. Seven additional historic features were documented.
The excavations recorded a single precontact feature and 18 historic features dating between 1864 and the early 1940s. Six of the 18
features reflect abandoned utilities (Features 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14) with the balance of 12 features reflecting construction related activities
(Features 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). All of these 12 historic features are associated with site 41BX2043, which is already
eligible for listing on the NRHP and recorded as a SAL. The descriptions of features 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 pCenter for Archaeological Researc
The Roles of Social Support and Communication in the Relationship Between SGM Identity and Sexual Risk Experience Among Emerging Adults
Get PDFThe present study sought to fill gaps in the literature regarding the relationships among sexual and gender minority (SGM) identity, social support and supportive communication from parents and friends, sexual communication from parents and friends, and sexual risk experience. Participants were university students aged 18 and older who completed an on-line, self-report survey. Path analyses were used to assess the indirect relationship between SGM identity and sexual risk experience via the proposed mechanisms of levels of emotional social support, supportive communication, and aspects of sexual communication received from parents and friends. Results found evidence that SGM-identity was significantly, indirectly related to greater sexual risk experience through its association with lack of sexual communication with parents, and higher levels of open sexual communication with friends. Lack of sex communication with parents reported by SGM compared to non-SGM participants may reflect a disparity in a protective factor for experiencing sexual risk. Conversely, more open sex communication with friends reported by SGM compared to non-SGM participants may indicate that some aspects of sex communication among peers enhance sexual risk. These results provide the foundation for more comprehensive investigations of the mechanisms involved in the relationships among SGM-identity, communication and social support from parents and friends, and sexual risk experience.Psycholog
Data-Driven Prediction and Inverse Design of Post-Buckling Behavior in Imperfect Architected Materials Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Get PDFThis research presents a machine learning (ML) framework for prediction and inverse designing post-buckling responses in imperfect architected materials (AMs), focusing on hexagonal and circular void AMs. Acknowledging the influence of geometric imperfections on AMs’ mechanical behavior, this study integrates Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), moving beyond idealized models. For hexagonal AMs, imperfections were introduced as perturbations to joint positions and encoded as imperfection field images. CNNs trained on these images accurately predicted stress-strain curves, achieving low average model error on order of (o) 10^(-2) using FEM curves as reference. The average model error was defined as the mean of individual stress-strain prediction errors across all curves. Inverse design was achieved using CNNs as surrogate models to optimize imperfection fields for desired post-buckling responses and mechanical properties. Verification on independent targets resulted in normalized root mean squared errors as low as (o) 10^(-3) for post-buckling responses and relative errors as low as (o)10^(-3) for mechanical properties, both using FEM responses as reference. The low errors demonstrate the feasibility of using imperfections as design parameters. For circular void AMs, imperfections were introduced to the void’s radius profile. The CNN’s performance was limited (averaged model error order of (o) 10^(-1)), likely due to the non-smoothed nature of the force-displacement responses, including localized buckling and abrupt stiffness change. Overall, results suggest that imperfections, traditionally considered undesirable, may be leveraged as tunable features for tailoring nonlinear responses in AMs.Mechanical Engineerin
Mechanical Couplers in Hinge Regions of Concrete Walls With Grade 80 Bars
Get PDFTest results are presented from experimental tests carried out at the University of Texas at San Antonio evaluating the performance of mechanically spliced high-strength reinforcing bars in hinge regions of concrete walls. The test focused on varying coupler types and the manufacturing process of Grade 80 (550 MPa) A706 longitudinal bars in the boundary region. Four full-scale rectangular walls satisfying ACI 318-19 detailing for special structural walls were tested under constant compressive axial load and fully reversed cyclic displacements until loss of lateral strength and instability.
Comparisons are made between a control wall without any splices and mechanically spliced wall specimens. The number and amplitude of cycles applied to the walls before longitudinal bars fractured at the base due to low-cycle fatigue were compared with the number of cycles sustained before fracture by nominally identical mechanical splices tested under reversed inelastic cycles in air by Sharma et al. (2025). Conclusions are drawn with respect to the effect of mechanical splicing of longitudinal reinforcing bars on general behavior, strain demands in longitudinal reinforcement, plasticity spread and mechanical splice performance.Civil and Environmental Engineerin
A Comparative Study of the Cognitive Integration of Disciplinary and Societal Knowledge Between First-year and Senior Engineering Students Through Mathematical Modeling: An Epistemic Network Analysis
No full textThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under an embargo until August 26, 2026.Engineers contribute to the development of technologies that shape not only material structures but also social structures. Therefore, it is essential to expand knowledge in engineering education research regarding learning experiences that foster engineering students’ integration between disciplinary and social knowledge.
This dissertation aimed to compare the cognitive integration processes of disciplinary knowledge—specifically in mathematics and engineering—and critical reflections related to societal knowledge between a team of first-year engineering students and a team of senior engineering students as they engaged in the Ram Pump Model-Eliciting Activity. The comparison sought to provide insights into the initial stages of cognitive integration and how these processes may be modified throughout the engineering program. This dissertation was grounded in the Models and Modeling Perspective and the Appropriate Technology Framework. It was conducted as a comparative case study, and the analytical framework integrated thematic analysis and Epistemic Network Analysis.
Findings showed that the Ram Pump MEA prompted both teams to engage in cognitive integration processes that connected mathematical and engineering knowledge with critical reflections, providing meaningful opportunities for students early in their studies, before deeply engaging with disciplinary knowledge, and for those who had completed most of their coursework. Thus, this MEA can be employed at different stages of the engineering program—to support early development of engineering knowledge or to enable application of disciplinary knowledge—both within relevant societal contexts. This study contributes to efforts to transform engineering education by shifting from simple problems to complex challenges that integrate relevant social contexts.Educational Psycholog
Design, Synthesis, In Vitro and In Silico Biological Evaluation of New Pyridine-2,5-Dicarboxylates Esters Bearing Natural Source Fragments as Anti-Trypanosomatid Agents
Get PDF<b>Background</b>: Chagas disease and leishmaniasis remain public health concerns. Despite the existence of approved medications for the treatment of these diseases, most patients discontinue treatment due to long drug regimens and/or the severe side effects of these drugs. This leads to treatment failure and potential future drug resistance. Therefore, the search for new molecules with trypanocidal activity, low cytotoxicity, and high selectivity is essential to address this challenge. <b>Methods</b>: In this work, three series (a, b, and c) of pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate esters were synthesized using different &beta;-keto-esters bearing naturally occurring fragments and 1,2,3-triazine-1-oxides via the inverse electron demand Diels&ndash;Alder (IEDDA) reaction. The structural elucidation of the compounds was performed using NMR (<sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C) and HRMS, and the crystal structure of compound <b>6a</b> was also obtained. Furthermore, a biological assay was performed for all synthesized and characterized compounds to determine their cytotoxicity against <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i>, <i>Leishmania mexicana</i>, and the J774.2 macrophage cell line. Finally, the in silico determination of their pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties was performed using the SwissADME and ProTox 3.0 platforms. <b>Results</b>: Compounds <b>3a</b>, <b>4a</b>, <b>5a</b>, <b>4b</b>, and <b>8c</b> had the highest anti-<i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> activity against both strains (IC<sub>50</sub> &le; 56.68 &micro;M). Compounds <b>8b</b>, <b>10a</b>, <b>9b</b>, and <b>12b</b> had considerable leishmanicidal activity against <i>Leishmania mexicana</i> against both strains (IC<sub>50</sub> &le; 161.53 &micro;M). Furthermore, in silico prediction of ADMET properties suggest that these pyridine compounds possess good pharmacokinetic profile. The results are also consistent with low in vitro cytotoxicity and high selectivity. <b>Conclusions</b>: The synthesized pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate esters have promising activity against <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> and <i>Leishmania mexicana</i>, with low cytotoxicity and good drug-like properties, suggesting that these compounds are potential candidates for further evaluation as new treatments for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.Chemistr
The Influence of Psychological Inflexibility and Cognitive Flexibility on the Relationship Between PTSD on Quality of Life in College Students With Trauma-Exposure
Get PDFApproximately 49.92% to 85% of college students experienced potentially traumatic events (Frazier et al., 2009; Grasso et al., 2011) and, in 2022, PTSD prevalence was 7.5% (Zhai & Du, 2024). College students with trauma-exposure report worse quality of life (QoL) compared to their peers (Haravori et al., 2016). The negative impact of PTSD on QoL is robust, yet little is known about the modifiable factors that directly or indirectly influence QoL through PTSD. Psychological inflexibility (PI) and cognitive flexibility (CF) have theoretical relevance for impacting both QoL and PTSD. The current study explored: (1) if PI and CF directly predict QoL; (2) post-traumatic stress symptom severity (PTSSS) was an indirect variable accounting for the relationship between PI-QoL and CF-QoL; and (3) the indirect effects identified in Aim 2 hold true after controlling for CF or PI, respectively, to determine the relative contribution of each variable while controlling for the other.
College students (N = 1147) completed several self-report measures as part of a larger study. Using hierarchal regression, CF positively predicted, and PI negatively predicted, QoL. Two indirect effect models covarying gender supported that PI and CF were directly and indirectly associated with QoL. When conducting the model with CF as a covariate, PTSSS mediated the relationship between PI and QoL. However, when PI was a covariate, PTSSS no longer mediated the relationship between CF and QoL. Future research may inform interventions targeting PI and CF to improve PTSSS and QoL in college students.Psycholog
Archaeology along the San Antonio River: The Mission Reach Project, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Volume 1: Introduction, Background and Summary
Get PDFFrom September of 2010 through April of 2014, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted monitoring, survey, test excavation, and data recovery work along the Mission Reach segment of the San Antonio River. The work was conducted under contract with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and was associated with construction of this segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP). The SARIP is a multi-year undertaking designed to restore and enhance the San Antonio River. Multiple federal, state, and local agencies were involved in the undertaking, including SARA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Parks Service (NPS), the City of San Antonio (COSA), and the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the project covered a roughly 200 m wide swath along the San Antonio River in south-central Bexar County. The APE begins at the Theo Avenue Bridge and ends south of Mission Espada, about 11.5 km. Ancillary projects were added to the APE and include the VFW Boulevard Drainage Improvements Project, the Secondary Impacts Survey, the San Juan Facilities Monitoring, the Espada Portal Monitoring, and the San Juan Trail Expansion. The combined project area is estimated to be roughly 3 km2 in size. CAR conducted the work under THC Antiquities Permit No. 5957, originally issued to Dr. Steve Tomka of CAR. Dr. Raymond Mauldin of CAR completed the permit. Much of the land is currently within the boundaries of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.
In the Mission Research section of the project, CAR conducted work at three previously identified archaeological sites (41BX254, 41BX256, and 41BX1628) at which data recovery efforts had been completed. CAR also conducted work at a known but previously untested prehistoric component at site 41BX1785 and performed trenching and testing at four newly defined sites (41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX2071, and 41BX2089). Finally, in conjunction with geomorphologic observations, CAR defined four new sites (41BX2113, 41BX2114, 41BX2115, and 41BX2116) along the banks of the San Antonio River in southern Bexar County. Work at these four sites was confined to radiocarbon dating features observed in the river cut banks. These 12 sites span the temporal sequence in the San Antonio area, with occupations stretching from the historic period back to the Paleoindian period. Ancillary projects included monitoring and survey work at 41BX5, 41BX340, 41BX341, 41BX706, 41BX1917, and along sections of the San Juan and Espada acequias.
Reporting on this work is summarized in four volumes. Volume 1 provides background to the project. Volume 2 focuses on the results of monitoring and survey along the San Antonio River, including the results of the ancillary projects. Volume 3 focuses on site testing, data recovery, and analysis. It includes a geomorphic study, excavation details for 41BX2089, 41BX1628, 41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX256, and 41BX1785, a regional synthesis of radiocarbon dates, and a summary of burned clay features, many of which have been argued to reflect structures. Volume 4 consists primarily of appendices that support the analysis in Volume 3 and smaller studies that were otherwise associated with the Mission Reach Project. CAR is serving as the curatorial facility for records and artifacts associated with the project. These items are being held in trust for the State of Texas and the National Parks Service. They have been assigned accession number 1883. Buried clay from the Tomka experimental structure is accessioned as number 2730.San Antonio River AuthorityCenter for Archaeological Researc